Catharsis
by Bottled Sunshine
Summary: Merlin tells Arthur the real reason he should be exiled. Although honestly, how dare Arthur even threaten it? Reveal one-shot which just became a two-shot. Alternate scene for 4.11.
1. Staples

_**AN: WARNING! Some spoilers through 4.11, 'The Hunter's Heart.' **_If you've not seen the 4th season, go watch it! The internet is a beautiful thing; if you can't find anywhere to watch, PM/review and I will let you in on the secret :) Takes place directly after Arthur shows Merlin the apparently not missing maps.

**CATHARSIS **

"Send me into exile?"

"Yes, _Merlin. _Do not push me."

Merlin watched Agravaine smirk as he left the vaults. He had never more felt like clawing someone's brains out. "Alright, fine," he said, throwing his hands in the air helplessly. "Send me into exile. But don't do it because I tried to save Camelot."

"Merlin, what the hell are you talking about?" Arthur hissed angrily.

"Giving you a real reason to banish me. Because you seem so keen on the idea. But before I leave you forever, I just want to make sure we're clear about why I'm being banished."

"What are you going on about? Just shut up before you really anger me."

"I am a _warlock_, Arthur. I am Emrys, and I am the last Dragonlord. I have been 'practicing' magic since I was born, and I have used to it to protect Camelot against Nimueh, Morgause, and now Morgana."

"Merlin, you can hardly expect me to—"

"For once in your life, Arthur, _you '_shut up' and let _me_ have my say. I don't mind not getting thanks for what I do, but I am so _sick _of you _yelling _at me all the time while I am _trying to save Camelot from YOUR STUPIDITY!_" Merlin paused, breathing heavily. "Your. Uncle. Is. A. Traitor. He is in league with Morgana, and she is in league with the Southron Army. And when Camelot is about to fall to its knees in a few days time, please for God's sake remember this conversation—and for once in your life, feel some appreciation for what I could have been saving you from."

"Are you insa—" Arthur tried, with no avail, to edge in once more.

"How could you possibly trust anyone more than you trust me? I, who have drunk poison for you, traded my life for yours at the Isle of Blessed, saved you from bandits and dragons and every sort of magical and nonmagical threat. If you're going to banish me, Arthur, then by God you are going to do it because I've broken the law by being magical myself and not because I accused your idiot uncle."

"Merlin, I don't know how many times I have to tell you to stay out of the tavern and—"

But Merlin was already muttering the words, and with a bright flash, he was gone. Leaving behind a very baffled Arthur.

_AN: Normally, this is the sort of fanfic that would idle on my computer for my own pleasure and never be posted. But from what I can tell of the mood among Merlin fans, it may just be that I am not the only one who needed a little… catharsis. So I went ahead and shared!_

_Hope you enjoyed—leave a review and let me know!_


	2. That Was Easy

**CATHARSIS PART II**

_**AN: First of all, **__I apologize for this update occurring so long after the first chapter._

_**Secondly, **__You know when you're reading a reveal, and Merlin tells Arthur all of the things he's gone through and suddenly Arthur turns into a really sensitive, caring person? This is not one of those fics. This is my take on Arthur. I honestly believe this is how Arthur – and Merlin for that matter – would react in canon. You have been duly warned._

"Merlin I don't know how many times I've told you to stay out of the tavern and—"Arthur winced against the sudden bright light, leaning out of it. He looked around in wonder at the sudden _lack _of Merlin. "… stop drinking so much," he trailed off. There was a moment of uneasiness as he wondered how on earth his manservant had managed to leave the room so quickly, but the moment passed even before the thought fully formed.

"Merlin?" He paused, trying to remember exactly what Merlin had been driveling on about. Something about… magic. Or some other such nonsense.

Something about _him _having magic. Ridiculous. The man really was the worst liar he had ever come across. And now he had made his escape and probably expected Arthur to undress _himself_ before bed. "Ridiculous," he said. Somehow saying it aloud comforted him immensely.

And then Arthur promptly forgot all about the ordeal, until morning.

* * *

><p>"That stupid, oblivious, foolish <em>prat!" <em>Merlin muttered, stomping furiously through the valley on his way to Ealdor. "Sometimes I think I should just – " He started, shock cascading onto him like he'd just stepped under a waterfall with a force amounting several tons. _What have I done? _he thought incredulously.

It was shortly followed by another (somewhat less shocking but still quite surprising) thought of – _Did I really just manage that teleportation spell? _

The Southron Army was under Morgana's control with the map of the tunnels and he had just left Camelot without any protection whatsoever. Well, without any real protection. He grumbled at this turn of thought stream, and started towards Camelot again.

* * *

><p>"MERLIN!" Arthur was livid. He hadn't seen his manservant since his rapid exit last night and as he stormed the castle furiously, he grew more and more impatient. Had Merlin <em>really <em>taken offense at his threat of exile? This was becoming absurd – if Merlin was going to act like a girl, he should at least be around so that Arthur could call him out on it.

"Sire." Merlin turned the corner, and Arthur glared at him. He glanced at Arthur and tried for a grin… which Arthur did not return.

"There you—where have you _been? _Do you know I had to get up and _find_ a servant to get me breakfast this morning? Are you done moping about or am I going to have to find myself a new manservant altogether?"

"Arthur, I understand if you're upset with me—"

"Of course I am! You have a job, _Mer_lin!"

"Yes, I … what?" Merlin paused. "…I have a job?"

Arthur exhaled loudly. "You are impossible! First you try to feed me all this hogwash about God-only-knows-what and then you disappear for hours on end."

Merlin hesitated. He was being given the chance to pretend this had never happened. That he had never deserted Arthur (however briefly), that he had never confessed to a betrayal of trust. How could he resist?

Why would he want to?

"You know how Tuesday evening is. Tavern drinks half off everything." He tried for another grin, and this one came with ease. Arthur made lying so easy…

_**AN:**__ And so Arthur remained stubbornly oblivious for the next three years… until Series 5._ I hope. There! Now this fits neatly into the ending of series 4 as its own little bubble. I know it's probably not what you were expecting, but somehow Merlin refused to do anything else in the story but turn around and go right back to Arthur's side. That's the kind of (fantastically loyal and humble almost to a fault) man he is, you know (*swoon*).It makes it almost like reverse-Catharsis; while rereading this, all I could think was "Dammit, Merlin, he doesn't deserve your goodness! ARGH. Leave forever and let him suffer." But Arthur's so sweet when he wants to be, and if Merlin believes in him, maybe I can too!

Now why aren't all my favorite authors updating? I have to write myself into sanity while waiting for next Saturday, and expending that kind of effort is simply not acceptable. Come on, Merlin fanfic-ers! Get me to the end of the week! (Fanficers? Wow, that's terrible. Fanficateers? Fanficalites? That "ka" sound is killing me. Someone help me with this dilemma.)

Is anyone else dying for this teleportation thing to happen? I'm really hoping that if Camelot had three years of peace then Merlin had three years of practicing that. Please.


End file.
